


just breathe

by izurulovesboats



Series: first requests from tumblr [5]
Category: The Yogscast
Genre: M/M, and btw i dont know what the fuck happened at the end of this, based in jaffa factory times, he dont recognize what love feels like either, im beyond tired, xephos has panic attack number 2378247, xephos is afraid of the dark
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-02
Updated: 2019-03-02
Packaged: 2019-11-07 23:01:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,104
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17969717
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/izurulovesboats/pseuds/izurulovesboats
Summary: And if you have nightmares, we'll dance on the bed.





	just breathe

**Author's Note:**

> cryign it was my only xephna request,,, self care is taking a week to finish an otp request

The beginning steps of the cave weren't that bad. You could still see the outside light and the only thing even vaguely threatening was the distant bones rattling from further into the cave and the stray zombie groan from inside the walls of sturdy rock. Xephos wasn’t bothered by this. As long as he could see where he was going, he would be fine. He tried to tell himself that as followed the natural twists and turns of the cave, the natural light from the surface fading and eventually completely vanishing. 

 

It started as a simple glance behind to check and see if something was lurking. Every time, it was nothing, and every time, he’d place another torch down. It was a formula crafted by his own paranoia, his own natural response to the dark. It kept him calm for a while, but it wasn’t enough. His heart jumped in his chest at the noises of a few pebbles tapping against the cave floor. It took him two times as long it should’ve to simply collect ore with how much he was trembling. 

 

When he got to his last torch, he didn’t place it. He gripped it like he needed it to survive. Sirens were blaring in his head as his head suddenly felt lighter, his feet finding their way to the wall and letting him lean on it, his mind feeling like it lost the ability of his own body. Nothing but choked sobs echoed throughout the closing-in cave, everything looking darker than it actually was. It’s not like he isn’t familiar with this feeling of being this lost, of being  _ this terrified _ , because he is. Too much to know how the dark eats at him bit by bit. Memories of the dark leave him shrouded in clouds of raw horror. He  _ really  _ shouldn’t have started mining alone. 

 

He isn’t aware of how much time has passed, though it feels like centuries. He hears the low growls and hisses of mobs from further in the cave and he tries to call out for help, only for the sound to be a sob-ridden whine. He doesn’t hear the light steps down the cave nearing towards him. He can’t hear what they say, but they do say something. He can feel the gears churning in his own mind as he processes the voice, and when he does, he  _ recognizes _ it, and calls out to it as best as he can. “L-Lalna..?”

 

“Oh, thank god.” the form he’s now clarified is Lalna kneels in front of him, gently laying a hand on his shoulder and shaking it, “Xephos, breathe.” As he says to do this with calming words, the spaceman does so and he sighs in relief at the silent response, “What.. What happened?”

 

Xephos lets his mind clear for a few seconds, his shaking hand making it’s way up to the scientists hand on his shoulder. “I-I got too panicked, for some.. s- _ stupid _ reason..” He trails off, looking like he’s getting frustrated at the thought of whatever bugged him, his grip on Lalna’s hand tightening and the cursing under his breath painting too clear of a picture that it was something that was.. deeply plaguing him. 

 

The scientist’s brow furrowed as he thought about whatever it could’ve been. It can’t be Honeydew’s absence from the factory; if anything, Xephos was  _ calmer  _ now that he didn’t have to worry about whatever the dwarf was doing on pig island. That seemed like the most logical reasoning Lalna could think of, at least. Why  _ else  _ would he panic in a  _ cave _ , of all things?

 

On the off chance it was something else, he didn’t know. He knew Xephos had so much anxiety that it could’ve just bubbled over, it was bound to happen eventually with how much he worried over almost anything he could find reasoning for worrying about. Lalna couldn't come to a conclusion, and despite him desperately not wanting to make the situation worse, he had to ask, in the softest voice he could, “..It’s not ‘stupid’ if.. if you’re breaking down over it, Xephos. You can tell me what’s wrong.” He used his other hand to wipe some tears off of Xephos’ glowing face with his hand, the luminescent skin underneath lighting up as he runs his thumb across his cheek, “I won’t laugh or anything, I promise.”

 

The alien sniffles, nodding. His voice is still broken as he speaks. He sounds like he might break into sobs again instead of the quiet crying he’s doing now. His face leans into the gloved hand on his cheek, his eyes gleaming a bright blue. “It’s.. I-It’s a species thing, I..” He huffs, and Lalna can almost feel him getting frustrated. Was it that difficult to explain? “W-We’re born associating the dark with death, a-and it.. I..” He chokes on a sob, but this time Lalna comes closer, pulling him into his lap. 

 

“You don’t have to get into it, Xeph.” He rolls over the information in his head, and nods to himself. “I got the gist of it, okay?” His heart aches at the whimpers coming from the spaceman, an intense need to hold him tight and comfort him overpowering any other train of thought. Why didn’t he ask for him to come along? “It isn’t stupid by any means. I promise, okay?”

 

Xeph buries his head in the crook of the scientist’s neck and nods. He can’t find the energy to respond, the comfort of the scientist so close giving him what could only be known as a dream. He takes a few quaking breaths again, to at least try and keep his mind off the dark and more on how warm Lalna felt when Xephos was basically laying against him. A small part of him wanted to admit that he needed this, but the pure sensation of feeling like he was floating convinced him otherwise. What was this feeling? He couldn’t quite put his finger on it. 

 

Lalna took his silent nod, and whilst being careful not to disturb him too much, scoops him up. He examines the spaceman and decides they might just take the day off. It’s not like Honeydew was there to convince them otherwise, and even then he’d let the spaceman rest. “I’m going to get you out of this cave and back to the shed. Trust me when I say you need the rest of the day off to rest, okay?” 

 

Xephos shakes his head again, a sigh of relief melting almost all of the shaky tension left in his system, and lets himself melt against Lalna’s heartbeat.


End file.
